Talking to… Trisha Lewis

We caught up with the inspirational Trisha Lewis to discover how she keeps going with her workouts and what’s been the most surprising turn of events

Trisha Lewis has lost six stone, and along the way has gained a tribe of transformers all committed to following her lead.

What made you decide to start prioritising your health?

I hit rock bottom and I was very down and sad. I hadn’t been happy in a long time and I guess I felt trapped and wanted to be happy and healthy, I was tired of always feeling tired, lonely and upset.

Were you nervous about going to a gym for the first time?

Terrified. At 26 stone I convinced myself I was too big to go to the gym which is the exact place I belonged. I was scared people would laugh at me, stare at me and mock me. I soon realized that was all in my own head. No one cares about you in a gym. Everyone is there for themselves and it’s the nicest environment to be in because people are full of endorphins. All I got was smiles of encouragement and friendly hellos.

How do you keep your motivation going?

I stopped thinking motivation exists. It’s not something someone has. You have to go and find it every morning. In the past as I became unmotivated I just threw in the towel. The fittest person in the world has to find their own motivation. So now I have to break it down step by step. I ask myself every morning do I want to be fat or fit; healthy or dying, happy or sad and I go on from there. I have my oats, I do my workout and if I keep at it I stay motivated. Step by step . Be ready to slip up and just keep going.

What has been the biggest surprise in how you’ve felt since losing weight?

How happy I am at 18.7 stone. I made a decision at the start that I was very proud of myself and I didn’t want to wait for my end goal to feel my happiest. So the biggest surprise is that most days I’m delighted with life. I’m also surprised at how fast my confidence came back. I hated myself before and I was very mean to myself. Now I swan around and tell myself most days how brilliant I am. It’s much easier to be mean to yourself but it’s much nicer to be your own biggest fan.

And what has been the best feeling?

Being happy. Waking up not needing material things. Feeling alive. Being able to walk up stairs without panicking and thinking about it beforehand. Buying clothes that aren’t big and black. Feeling pretty.

You’re very vocal on Instagram about shaking off a bad few days and resetting, do you think this is an important message to show people?

I think it is. Too often in the past I would have gone mad,had bad food and then just given up. The best learning curve I’ve had is that I am the boss. I’m the CEO Of my body. I can just reset my mistake and plough on. Everyone messes up and eats three bars of chocolate. You have to own it, move on and have a laugh about it.

How do you feel knowing you’ve developed a following on social media?

Flattered. Delighted. Grateful. I can’t believe the support I’ve gotten. I never started this for a following . My lord when I hit 500 followers on Instagram I jumped around my sitting room. Now 58,000 people later messages of support and kindness are pouring in.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express how grateful I am for the mad gang of Transformers who have changed my life for the better. Instagram gets a bad rep for being toxic but I’ve never had a mean word said to me. People are amazing.

Are you planning to released a cook book or anything along those lines around your journey?

I have nothing planned. I’m taking it day by day. I would love to do one but no plans as of yet.

What would you say to anyone who wants to start but is a little nervous?

To just relax. It won’t kill you. It will hurt. You will be sore. You’re gonna be wrecked. You’re gonna be allergic. But sweat is much better rolling down your face than tears.

What has been the biggest learning you’ve made along the way?

That I did nothing wrong. That it’s just weight. Once you fight it it goes. I was very hard on myself for years and riddled in shame. I’ve learned that whatever size you are, people are all the same. We all feel sad we all have ups and downs, it’s just about getting back up. I’ve learned that people struggle every day and I was never as alone as I thought I was.